


Surely to the Sea

by Sachiela



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Additional warnings will be in the notes for each chapter if needed, Bottom Keith (Voltron), Dorks in Love, Eventual Smut, M/M, MerMay, Mermyd Keith, Mermyd Shiro, Shiro and Adam are the background relationship, Top Lance (Voltron), broganes, courting, mermaid keith, minor gore in chapter 3 - Shiro's arm, pining boys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:20:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sachiela/pseuds/Sachiela
Summary: Maybe, just maybe, the reason Lance had chosen this project to be the first one he joins as a newly graduated marine biologist (he had a freaking PhD, his mama had cried so hard at graduation) was because of a flash of something—of someone—he had seen in the water as a student, back when he started working on his doctorate.But no one else needed to know that.--A human Lance and mermyd Keith love story told in ten parts.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 52
Kudos: 143





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> It still counts as MerMay if I post this before the end of the month right? 
> 
> I have ten chapters planned for this, 6 written out already. I'm hoping to post one a week and just have it end in Julance. 
> 
> \--
> 
> The bit at the start of this chapter where Lance is with the whale was inspired by a video of someone else doing the same. That visual stuck in my head and created the opening for the fic I needed to get this all written.
> 
> Title from "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" by Elvis Presley (though I got the inspiration from the cover by Darren Hayes)

Maybe, just maybe, the reason Lance had chosen this project to be the first one he joins as a newly graduated marine biologist (he had a freaking PhD, his mama had cried so hard at graduation) was because of a flash of something—of _someone_ —he had seen in the water as a student, back when he started working on his doctorate. 

But no one else needed to know that. 

He’s not even sure if what he thinks he saw was real or a hallucination caused by too many late nights studying and too many early mornings trudged through with far too much caffeine. But he had to at least try to find out. He wanted to research the ocean, help conserve and protect her any way he could, which is what led him down this path. Can he really call himself a scientist if he doesn’t at least try to figure out what he saw?

Those purple eyes still haunt his dreams. 

*~*~*~*

It’s only the third day out gathering samples, a touch further out on the water this time, when Lance ends up face to face with a sperm whale. 

Despite his excitement at being so close to such a beautiful creature, he doesn’t reach out to touch, not knowing if the whale might perceive that as a threat or not. Especially since, as the largest toothed whale, he could be seriously injured. But she (definitely a she going by her size, there’s no way a young bull this small would be out on his own) seems to be watching him, waiting for something. 

He can hear Adam asking over the radio if he’s all right and he only can hum out a quick “mmhmm” as an answer, still caught in the whale’s gaze. Not sure what else to do, Lance spins in place, grinning widely and bubbling out a laugh when she does the same just after he completes his turn. 

She swims away soon after, probably to join her pod nearby, he’ll have to check the sonor back on deck. 

But, hell, that was probably the most magical experience of his life so far. He doesn’t know how anything could top that.

*~*~*~*

From behind a section of coral, bright enough to hide the colors of his own tail, Keith watches the human and the large whale together, unable to stop a slight smile at the interaction. He could tell she was happy the human meant no harm to the area, having wanted to check on the human, same as Keith himself is. And even though he’s feeling cautious, because humans are not something to trust easily, this one in particular confuses him.

He recognizes their voice, the sound distinct enough both through the mask and above the water to bring back memories of his first time out on his own, without his older brother to help keep an eye out. How he’d briefly come face to face with the human before fleeing. But the human hadn’t given chase back then, hadn’t done anything to put him at risk. And even now, is only taking a few small bits of coral and the occasional fish, though the fish have been returned in the past by both this human and the others with them. So they weren’t eating them, but...what are they doing, then?

The human gets back on the boat soon after the whale leaves and Keith watches as they make their way back to where they tie up the boat for the night. He can tell the human is talking loudly, can see their arms waving through the air in expressive gestures. He wonders if he could get close enough to hear any of what is being said, but holds himself back. He’s not ready to risk being seen yet.

Maybe tomorrow, if the human is in the water again, Keith can try to approach them?

They do go back out on the boat when the sun comes up, earlier than Keith expected. He’s already up, hunting for his own meal, and it’s no problem to grab his quarry and go, settling next to a rocky outcropping to stay out of sight, but still able to see the human prepping to get in the water again. Eating his fish quickly, he tosses the unsavory bits for scavengers to find further away from him. The less attention he can draw to himself the better. 

As soon as the human is in the water, Keith stiffens, watching very closely and doing his best to keep even the movement of his gills to a minimum. No one else gets in the water with them and he relaxes only slightly. When he’s far enough away from the boat, Keith moves, hoping the human responds the same as other predators to sudden movement. 

There’s the sound of bubbles behind him and Keith grins as he ducks around the outcropping, pleased the human appears to be following. They’re slow, of course, but not much is faster than a mer when they want to be. 

Even so, it’s only a few seconds before the human peeks around the rocks and freezes, blue eyes wide. 

Speech isn’t possible under the water, at least nothing that the human would comprehend. Hoping he’s not about to make a complete fool of himself, that the human understands what he’s doing, Keith spins in place, feeling his fins all flare out in the water. 

*~*~*~*

Half wondering if he’s still asleep, if he’d dreamed of getting on the boat and into his scuba gear, Lance stares at the mermyd in front of him. And _actual_ mermyd. The same one, if he’s remembering those eyes correctly. He honestly doubts he could ever forget them. 

When the mermyd spins, it confuses him for a moment, not sure what it’s supposed to mean. Is this some sort of greeting? Dance? It’s beautiful, whatever it means, being able to see all those lovely red fins flare out. It’s much more graceful than anything Lance could do--

The whale. He spun with the whale yesterday. Had this mermyd seen that? Is that what he was trying to do? 

Spinning far less gracefully, Lance watches as the mermyd’s face lights up. It’s a rather toothy grin, but he must have done something right. He considers the area around them. If they surface here, the rocks should hide them from Adam on the boat. That’s good enough for him. There’s no one else around for leagues. He gives a thumbs up, gesturing to the surface, and then begins to swim up. He takes off his regulator and mask as soon as he breaks the surface, gently treading water. 

The mermyd pops up a moment later and pushes his mass of dark hair back away from his face.

“Oh my god, you’re real. You’re really real. You’re a mermyd and you’re real and I think you’re the same one I saw here like three years ago, right? Is that you? Crap, can you speak English, even? Maybe you know Spanish instead? _Dios_ , how would I even be able to know what language you speak? There’s an old French port nearby, I don’t know much French, but I--”

He stops when the mermyd places a hand over his mouth, expression...amused? Why does he look amused?

“You talk too fast. It’s hard to understand.”

Lance jerks back slightly in surprise. He can speak! English! What the cheese? “Holy shit!”

He can hear Adam asking questions over his earpiece and he’s glad he took off his mask. Since it sank partially in the water, Adam wouldn’t have been able to hear any of that. He pulls it out carefully. “All good Adam, just grabbing a few more samples. I’ll be back in just a few,” he says, surprised at how even his voice sounds, and drops the mask back in the water. He doesn’t know what the mermyd wants, but considering he enticed him out of sight of the boat, he can only imagine he doesn’t want Adam or anyone else knowing he’s here. 

But then why reveal himself to Lance?

“I remember you from before, too,” the mermyd replies softly, almost shy.

Lance seriously needs to work on his weakness for cute people. He smiles. “I’m Lance. What about you?” 

“Keith.”

Adam’s voice cuts in over the earpiece again, reminding Lance they have other things to work on today to keep up with their projects. Sighing, Lance’s smile turns apologetic. 

“Sorry, I’ve got to get back to work before my colleague comes searching for me.” He’s about to pull the mask out of the water, but pauses. “I...Will I see you again?”

Keith nods, swimming backwards slightly even though Lance still isn’t sure if this is real or a dream. “You’re...interesting.”

With that, the mermyd dives back under the water, red tail flickering out of sight behind brightly colored coral a moment later. Lance blinks a few times, before shaking his head and pulling his mask back on, getting the regulator in place a moment after. He works fast to get the samples Adam wanted. No way he could return to the boat empty handed and not have to explain himself.

The whole time, though, his mind is back on the mermyd, Keith. He’d said they’d see each other again. Lance can’t wait.


	2. Second Wave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a day late. Our power went out yesterday afternoon due to a bad storm that blew through and about 12 hours later came back on. We're all fine, it was just half the city ended up without power because of it. Fun times.
> 
> Big thank you to my friend Dee for helping me with the Spanish for this.

As soon as he’s up the next morning, Lance scarfs down a quick breakfast and then grabs his surfboard. Yeah, he works on or with the ocean and her creatures all day, but that was entirely different than enjoying a day off riding the waves or just relaxing on the beach. Even if Adam teases him for it, he isn’t about to change his habits.

Especially when he has a chance to meet someone out there.

The water is fairly calm around their facility, the cove giving plenty of protection from the harsher waves out in the open. The location had been chosen for the research facility because of this. And because of the deep dropoff just past the cove, making it ideal for studying deeper marine life without getting too far out from land. 

Though, because of the calmness of the water, it’s not necessarily the best place for surfing. Enough to catch a couple small waves for fun, but that’s about it. Lance doesn’t mind though. Some days it’s just more fun to relax on his board out on the water, let it rock him as his mind wanders. 

This time, he paddles out on the water with purpose, going a little further out than usual so that he can put a few rocks between himself and the research building, just in case Adam happens to look out for him. He doesn’t want to risk Keith being scared off if he does happen to make an appearance. 

He doesn’t have to wait long until he sees a long red tail beneath him and mop of dark hair emerge next to his board. 

“What are you sitting on?” Keith asks. He runs his fingers along the board, as if that will help him understand the purpose. 

Lance laughs. “It’s a surfboard. It’s used for riding waves for fun, but it can also be used to just float on the water.”

The mermyd looks thoughtful for a moment. “Humans don’t float very well long term,” he says calmly, as if stating a fact more than asking a question.

“No, no, we’re not really made for it,” Lance agrees, still grinning. “Same as how you probably don’t do so well on land.”

Keith looks over at the beach and shakes his head. “We certainly don’t.”

Lance tilts his head curiously. “‘We?’ So you’ve got family out here?”

“My brother is nearby. He’s curious what you are all doing out here on the water as well. You don’t seem to be hunting or getting food. You release everything you catch unharmed.” Keith pets the board again and then braces his arms on it, pressing down as if to test its buoyancy. 

“Woah!” Lance exclaims, moving quickly to make sure he’s not tipped off into the water. It’s not like he has to worry about drowning or anything, but it would interrupt their conversation. “If you want to get on, let me move back a bit, otherwise we’ll both fall off.” 

Keith considers, but shakes his head. “ _I_ don’t need any help floating. But what are you doing when you put on the funny looking stuff?”

Ah, the diving gear probably does look strange to a mermyd. “We’re researching. That’s what Adam, my research partner, and I do all day. We’re studying the area, how many of each type of fish are here, how the coral is doing, making sure this place stays healthy and safe. Ocean covers three-fourths of the world and humans know so little about it all. We just want to understand, and make sure we don’t do anything to the planet that could hurt it.”

It looks like Keith gets the majority of it, but maybe the whole concept of doing it for a job goes beyond him. “My brother and I like looking at the stuff humans sometimes drop in the water, though we’re never quite sure what it’s for. Is that what you’re doing?”

“Yeah, pretty much. If we take a fish out or something like that, it’s because we’re trying to see it closer from a safe place. We’ll keep them in a large tank for a short time and recreate their home as best we can. But we try to keep them for only a short time in case it stresses them out too much. Since we can’t talk to fish or anything, we can’t tell them that they’re safe or anything,” Lance explains, hands moving as he talks. “And as soon as we can, we put them back exactly where we found them, in case they have issues finding their way back from the shore.

“Sometimes we find something injured and we take them back as quick as we can to try to treat them. Maybe it’s a little silly, since things die out here all the time as smaller fish get eaten by larger fish and whales, but we try to help where we can. We can’t preserve the area if we just leave them, you know?”

Keith nods. “We’ve seen that, too. Injured creatures leaving and coming back healed. We were wondering if there was some kind of magic.”

“No, not really,” Lance laughs. “Well, maybe science is magic to some, but for us it’s just observing and learning from the world around us, and then using that knowledge to help where we can.”

Keith smiles, small and shy, and Lance’s heart skips a beat. 

Wait, what the hell? What was that? 

“Can I show you more things, then?” Keith asks, gripping the side of the surfboard. 

“What kind of things?”

Keith ducks under the board and pops up on the other side, already guiding the board through the gentle waves with easy flicks of his tail. “Things you overlook. Or that you don’t know to look for at all because you don’t live in the water.”

“All right, _niño de rojo_ , lead the way.”

The board pauses and Keith looks up to Lance with some confusion. “Why are you calling me red boy?”

Lance flushes lightly as he laughs, bringing one hand up to rub at the back of his neck. “It’s nothing to do with your actual age or size or anything. It’s just...like a cute nickname? You’re not supposed to think too much about it. Just thought it fit with your tail.” 

The mermyd nodded again, as if this satisfied his confusion, and Lance relaxed for just a moment.

“Does that mean I should call you _niño de azul_? Because of your eyes?”

Face flushing, Lance tips sideways and purposefully falls into the water, hoping that will help cool his burning face. He can’t help but giggle when Keith immediately pulls him back above the surface and checks him over for any injuries. Not finding any, Keith splashes him lightly. “You worried me.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Lance replies as he slides back onto the board and pushes his wet hair back from his face. It’s probably standing in all directions and he can’t bring himself to care. “I’ll try not to do it again.”

Keith huffs, but doesn’t say anything more, starting to push the board again towards a small outcropping further near the edge of the cove. 

*~*~*~*

Lance doesn’t return to the research building until dinnertime, his hunger driving him there more than anything else. Keith had offered him some fish when he mentioned getting food and, while the Cuban enjoyed sushi, that was a little _too_ fresh for his tastes. 

And if Keith joined him frequently on their expeditions after that, pointing things out to Lance he wouldn’t otherwise see, well, Adam had no reasons to question how Lance was finding all these great specimens. Their research was all the better for it in the end.


	3. Third Person

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning in this chapter for blood/injury/medical care. Please take care of yourself.
> 
> If I need to do more than for warnings, please let me know.

Keith struggles under Shiro's heavy weight, but he can't stop. Stopping would mean--no, _focus_. 

He flicks his tail as fast as he can and feels a surge of hope in his chest when he sees the familiar blue and white of Lance's boat. Just a little further. He doesn't do anything to hide his presence when he breaks the surface and doesn't care at all if anyone else working with Lance can see them. It isn't the time. They need--

" _Lance_!" he calls out as loudly as he can. "Lance, please, we need help!"

*~*~*~*

Lance has never heard someone sound so scared when calling his name, and he hopes to never hear it again as he scrambles onto the deck, ignoring Adam's questions as he goes. All but slamming into the railing, he barely keeps himself from toppling over the edge as he takes in Keith holding another mermyd afloat, blood trickling behind them in a small ribbon through the waves. 

"Adam, swing the hammock over!" Lance shouts, reacting quickly. He's thankful that Adam does so immediately, after gaping a moment himself, and Lance helps guide it into the water as close to Keith as he can. "Keith, slide him into that, okay?"

He's grateful when Keith does as asked, making sure the other mermyd is fully in the hammock before waving for Adam to start lifting. The boat lurches for a moment under the sudden increase in weight on one side, but it's made to handle much more than this, thank goodness. While guiding the hammock back over the deck, he asks Keith, "What happened?"

He had thought Keith's tail was long, with its multitude of crimson shades reminding him of fire or a sunset, but it's nothing compared to this mermyd. Nearly twice as long, it's black with purple undertones, and small paler freckles that make Lance think of stargazing. But it's not his tail that's hurt.

"I…" Keith stares at the other mermyd with glassy eyes and then shakes himself, as if pulling himself out of a bad memory. "We were...Shiro's arm got scratched, not much, but one of the sharks nearby…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence. Lance could guess what happened to the brother Keith had mentioned before. Shiro's arm is gone and there's a rope of seaweed tied around the remains of his bicep to help stem the bleeding. He doesn't say it out loud, but he's betting the only reason Shiro hadn't bled out on their way over here was because of that.

"Hammock secure!" he calls out. Checking Shiro's pulse, it gives him hope to feel it there, perhaps a little weak, but steady. It's a good sign. "Hang in there, big guy," he whispers.

Adam brushes past him on the way to the helm with a mutter of, "We're talking about this later." Lance nods. He knows he owes his research partner--his _friend_ \--an explanation. 

"We're going back to the lab now, we'll need the tools there to help him, okay?" Lance lets Keith know as the boat turns. He sees Keith nod and knows he's going to keep pace with them, if not rush ahead to the dock himself. Since Adam is driving, he grabs the first aid kit and starts doing what he can to clean the limb and hopefully prevent any infection from taking hold, muttering soothing phrases in Spanish under his breath that his mother used to say to him when he's sick.

He's not sure that Shiro can hear him, but it seems to help ease the tense lines on his face that show as Lance keeps cleaning.

As soon as they're docked, Lance jumps onto the platform and rolls over a gurney. Even with Adam's help, it's a struggle to pull Shiro onto it, but they manage, and he can't help but wonder just how strong Keith is to be able to drag Shiro though the water like that, even with the help that being in water gives. There's a loud slap on the dock behind him and he turns to see Keith pulling himself up, as if to crawl after them into the lab. 

"Go on ahead, I'll be there in a second," Lance says to Adam. He gets a nod and helps the other man get the momentum started to move Shiro inside, then turns to Keith, kneeling down. "You can't come in with us, not just yet, okay?"

"I want to go, too!"

Lance places gentle hands on Keith's shoulders, squeezing softly and trying to encourage him back into the water. "I know you do. Believe me, I know. But we need you out of the way while we're working, okay? We're going to save him, we just need you to wait out here for a little bit. I swear, I'll come and get you as soon as he's stable."

Keith pouts, but doesn't push further onto the dock. "If you're not out here by the time the sun starts to set, I'm coming in."

Evening. Lance checks his watch. That gives them roughly three hours. "That's fine, we should definitely be done by then. I'll see you soon."

Giving Keith's shoulders one last squeeze, Lance stands and goes inside, finding that Adam has already started work on cleaning out everything completely to prepare for stitching Shiro up.

He gets scrubbed up and starts to help, checking to make sure there's nowhere else Shiro is injured, but it looks like it's only the arm. 

"So, this is Shiro and outside is Keith, was it?" Adam asks, not looking up from his work.

Lance hands him tools and cleans up as needed. "Ah, yeah. Do you want the long story or the short one?"

Adam gives him a brief flat look. "You know this is going to take awhile."

Chuckling softly, Lance shrugs. "All right. So...well, I suppose I should start with, remember when I thought I saw something in the water back when I was still a student? That...apparently was Keith." He talks about how Keith had seen him, that day with the whale, and approached him the next day, their first official meeting and how, when Lance goes out with his board, it's to hang out with Keith on the water. 

"That was over a month ago," Adam murmurs, finishing up the last stitch on Shiro's arm and snipping the thread. "Though I suppose I owe Keith a thanks for the sudden surge in our research?"

"Yeah, maybe a little. He's just pointing stuff out, though."

Adam smiles and bumps their shoulders together. "I know. I wouldn't have accepted you here as a research partner if I didn't feel you would be able to do your job."

A warmth fills Lance's chest at the unexpected words, and he grins as they finish up. Getting Shiro into another hammock over the isolation tank is just as difficult, if not moreso, than getting him onto the gurney was, but they eventually get him into place. 

As soon as he's settled, Adam passes the gurney to him. "So you can wheel in his brother, yeah? I'll be doing final checks of his vitals and making sure he doesn't wake up alone if you take a bit to get Keith in here." 

"Thanks," Lance says with a nod and swings the table around to wheel back outside. 

When the external doors open, Keith is already launching himself back onto the dock, face a mixture of anxiety and hope. The empty gurney makes his expression fall and he bites his lip, looking up at Lance with tears in his eyes. 

"Hey, no, it's okay. Shiro's just fine. We just thought it would be easier for you to come inside on this instead of trying to crawl, yeah?" Lance says quickly, realizing what Keith must have thought. "Think you can get yourself on there with some help?"

"Yeah," Keith agrees, relaxing a touch when he hears that Shiro's okay, though Lance knows he won't completely calm down until he can see his brother for himself. It makes him miss his own family all the more for a second, but he shakes it off. One thing at a time.

It's a struggle, but this isn't the first large marine animal he's had to get onto a table alone. At least this one is willing to work with him instead of actively against him or being a dead weight. Wheeling Keith inside is also very different than wheeling in a dolphin or small whale. His eyes go wide and he can tell the mermyd has a whole slew of questions, but the need to see Shiro seems to keep him silent. 

Once in the room with the isolation tank, Lance has to act quickly to keep Keith from falling right off the gurney as he lunges towards his brother. "Shiro…" he murmurs, reaching out to touch his shoulder, as if to make sure he's actually there. "Why isn't he awake?"

"We had to make sure he stayed asleep while we worked on his arm," Adam says softly from off to the side. He's filling out a clipboard quickly to keep track of everything so they know immediately if something goes wrong. "So we gave him some medication to keep him asleep while we did that. He should wake up from it soon, though."

Shiro groans as if on cue, drawing everyone's attention to him as he slowly wakes up. 

"Shiro?" Keith asks softly, not sure how aware his brother is just yet.

The larger mermyd is still groggy from the anesthesia, probably would be for some time. "Keith? What...what's going on…? What happened?"

A few tears fall down Keith's cheeks and Lance puts a supporting hand on his shoulder. "You're gonna be okay, yeah? You're inside Lance's building right now."

The words seem to cause more confusion than they help. Shrio starts slowly taking in his surroundings, eyes widening for a moment when they land on Adam, but then he tries to move and gasps, clenching in pain. 

Keith makes a whining sound from deep in his throat and Lance steps forward, reaching out but not sure if Shiro would be okay with contact or if that would only make things worse. "You're gonna want to take it easy for a bit, okay?" He doesn't think beating around the bush is going to help anyone, so he takes a deep breath. "We had to stitch up your arm after it was bitten off. Do you remember that? You should heal up fine in time, but it's going to take a while. We recommend that you stay here for a bit to make sure nothing gets infected or worse. We want to help you and we promise we'll keep you safe."

There's a tense moment where Shiro stares down at the stump of his arm and Lance is worried he's going to panic. He must be too tired, though, as the mermyd slumps in the hammock with a groan of pain. They'll have to keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't freak out later when he's more awake. 

"How many…?"

"How many what?" Adam asks, looking up from his clipboard.

Shiro frowns. "How many humans are here?"

Looking over at Adam, Lance gets the nod that he can answer if he wants. "It's just me and Adam here right now. We'll probably get another student or two here once summer is over, but you should be well enough to go back to the ocean by that point."

Nodding, Shiro slumps a little more bonelessly into the hammock. Maybe he was just worried about how many people might know about them. Lance can't imagine that mermyds trust that many people to know they exist. 

"You should get some more sleep," Adam says carefully, grabbing a radio from the back of the room and placing it right next to the tank. "If you wake up at any point and need anything, press this button and it'll buzz myself and Lance. We'll also be checking on you periodically, but we won't wake you up if we can help it. The water you're in is constantly being filtered, too, so this should prevent any sort of infection. Please stay in the hammock for at least tonight, so you don't hurt yourself. We can lower it more into the water if you need it, but it won't provide as much support."

Lance smiles as Adam goes over everything with Shiro, curious about the slight blush he can see on Shiro's face. Huh. Maybe something to ask about later. He steps back to Keith and bumps his arm to get his attention. "Do you want to stay here a little longer or should we get you back outside?"

It takes a moment, but Keith shakes his head. "I want to stay in here to make sure Shiro's okay, but I should get back into the water. I'm drying out."

"All right." Lance gives Shiro and Adam a wave, not surprised in the least when only Adam gives him an absentminded one in return.

Wheeling Keith back outside, Lance holds the table steady as Keith rolls off of it and back into the water. He pushes it back inside and then sits on the edge of the dock, watching the mermyd floating beside his feet carefully. "Are you going to be all right out here by yourself?"

Keith shrugs, looking confused. "I...have to be don't I? I can't stay in there with him or you would have offered that option."

"Sorry, was trying to ask if you wanted me to stay out here with you, in case you didn't want to be alone." 

Blinking a few times, Lance takes note of the tears starting to form at the corner of Keith's eyes, though he doesn't seem ready to let them fall. "Don't you have stuff to do in there? And you need to be able to hear if Shiro calls for you, right?"

Lance chuckles and points to the waterproof pager on his hip. It won't last under pressure, but it'll do well enough in a couple feet of water. "If Shiro uses that device to call for help that Adam was showing him, this will start beeping. Adam has one, too. And if he's going to go see what Shiro needs, then he'll press this button and it'll stop beeping on my end. So I won't even have to go in if Adam has it taken care of."

"But your work?"

"Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow. With the help you've been giving me, we're ahead of schedule, and have more data than we know what to do with just yet. So no worries."

Keith bites his lip, eyes looking damper by the minute. "I...don't want to be alone tonight."

Reaching down, Lance brushes a loose strand of hair behind Keith's pointed ear. "Hey, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't ready to join you out here. Can you give me a little bit to grab some food and stuff?"

"But...you can't sleep in the water?"

"That's why I need to grab a few things," Lance replies with a grin. "I can't sleep with my head underwater, no, but there's nothing saying I can't sleep partially in the water. I'll be right back, okay?"

Keith nods, looking skeptical, and Lance stands and hurries back inside. He passes Adam on the way to his room and quickly mentions where he'll be overnight so his research partner doesn't worry. With the two of them being the only humans around for miles, they take letting the other know where they are seriously. 

In his room, he pulls together a bag of almost everything he'll need, placing a couple pool noodles under his arm, before going over to their kitchen to put together a quick dinner. He doesn’t want to leave Keith waiting long.


	4. Fourth Contact

When Lance comes back outside, Keith pops his head back above the deck, curious what he's up to. Humans always seem to be able to put together the strangest things with objects he could never hope to recognize. 

This particular human sends him away to get his own dinner while he fiddles with the items he's brought out. Keith knows it's probably just to get him out of the way while he's working, but he does need to eat. And maybe catch a few extra fish for Shiro as well. 

He takes a little longer than he strictly needs to catch something for Shiro, but he wants to find his brother's favorites. The last one is the hardest to catch, a quick little thing, but he manages after staying still for a long moment and then darting his hands out to grab it as it tries to swim past. Shiro would be proud of him for managing to be so patient.

Belly full and catch in hand, Keith hurries back to the dock to see that Lance is nearly done with whatever it is he's working on, looking like some kind of large sack floating barely on the water, surrounded by a multitude of colorful objects. "What is this?"

"Oh, you're back. Got enough to eat out there?" Lance says, adjusting the skintight suit he usually wears while diving. Is he planning on diving now?

Keith nods, holding up the fish he brought back. "And got some for Shiro as well, if you could take them to him?"

Lance grins. "Yeah, of course. We weren't sure what you guys ate, so that's great."

Oh, Lance's reaction sends a little bubble of happiness rising up in his gut. In the earlier panic, he'd forgotten how he was starting to enjoy being around the human more and more. Lance murmurs he'll be right back and places the fish in a spare bag he has with more care than they probably need, but it pleases Keith. He then disappears inside the building again and Keith turns back to the odd thing Lance had put together. It was strung up between two posts of the dock, hanging low enough to drag in the water. As the tide rose and fell, it looked like it would just float with it, and Keith grew more confused. Was this for Keith to sleep in or something?

"It's probably not as impressive as anything my best friend could make, but it should do well enough for a night or two, yeah?" Lance says as he comes back out. 

“What is it?” Keith asks, poking it a few times.

Lance slips off the deck next to Keith, startling him, before climbing up into the sack. It cradles him a lot like the device they had hoisted Shiro in earlier. “It’s my bed for the next couple nights, at least, so I can be out here with you. What do you think?”

Considering it for a moment longer, Keith nods. It looks sturdy enough and is mostly out of the water, so no worries about the human drowning in his sleep. “It looks good.”

Lance opens his arms and gestures for Keith to join him. “C’mon. I made this strong enough to hold both of us. Figured the contact would help you more than just me being out here.”

This makes Keith pause. Can it really support both of them? And does he want to sleep with the human by his side? It’ll be better than being left alone under the water with his own thoughts for company, even if Lance is close by. 

“Okay,” he says softly, swimming closer and accepting Lance’s help to move into the hammock as well, laying on his side next to the human and letting the last quarter of his long tail to flop over the edge. That would help keep it wet enough. 

Once he’s settled, Lance wraps his arms around him and he shudders.

“Sorry, is this not okay?”

Keith shakes his head quickly. “It’s fine.” It’s been so long since anyone has held him like this, not since his parents… He’s not used to it. But it does feel nice. He places one arm around Lance in return and takes a deep breath to relax more. It’s...really nice. Lance adjusts one last time before settling and Keith ends up laying his head on the human’s shoulder, somehow even more comfortable than he was initially.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, do mermyds live in pods, or is it more in individuals or pairs?”

It takes a moment for Keith to respond, but he’s not surprised that Lance has questions, given what he’s learned about the human’s job. “We’re usually in pods, large family groups. It’s easier to look out for each other that way. But...one day my mom disappeared and not long after my dad passed away. Shiro’s parents, my uncles, took me in for a bit, but they both passed not too long ago, too. So now it’s just Shiro and me.”

Lance holds him even tighter for a moment. “I’m so sorry, Keith. I can’t even imagine…” He trails off and there’s silence between them for a moment. “And there haven't been other pods you two could join?” 

“There’s one nearby that’s friendly with us, but it...doesn’t feel right to join them, if that makes any sense. Though, with how things are now, we might have to. At least for awhile.”

“Well, you’re always welcome to hang out around here,” Lance says softly. “I don’t know how much we can offer in protection, but we don’t see any large predators in the cove usually.”

Keith smiles softly. “Except for me.”

Lance’s chuckling jostles him slightly, but he doesn’t mind. “Yeah, all right, _niño de rojo_. You got me there.”

There’s a moment of quiet once more and Keith listens to the steady rhythm of Lance’s heart in tandem with the gentle waves around them. The sounds don’t stay in sync, but they’re both soothing to hear. 

“Hey, do mermyds have stories about the stars?”

Keith opens his eyes to glance up at the night sky. “We do, but I don’t know them very well.” He loves looking up at the stars and knows them well enough to always be able to find his way, but his parents weren’t able to share much of the lore before...well, _before_. “Do humans have stories?”

“Yeah, dozens of them from all over the world. I can tell you what I know if you want? Until we fall asleep?”

He knows Lance is trying to help him take his mind off things and he appreciates it greatly. And his voice is nice. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Lance starts talking, pointing out shapes and patterns in clusters of stars as he shares the stories of each he had grown up with. Keith follows along until he can’t keep his eyes open any longer and falls asleep against Lance’s shoulder.


	5. Fifth Element

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adam's POV a bit in here.
> 
> Also, yes, this chapter title is a nod to one of my fav movies. But, no, it has nothing to do with the story.

Adam yawns as he sips on his coffee, walking down the research facility hall to where Shiro has been recovering. The mermyd (merman? he hasn't had enough coffee for this) hadn't used the pager at all overnight, but Adam had still slept fitfully, waiting for it to go off at any time. 

He refills his cup on his way, knowing he's probably going to be drinking a likely unhealthy amount before the day is done. He'd just have to keep the number of cups a secret from Lance. 

When he enters the room, though, he can't say he's surprised to find Lance already there in his wetsuit, hanging another bag of fish from the side of the tank for the mermyd to eat when he desires. It spikes a thread of interest from him, wanting to catalog just what it is these creatures eat, their habits, everything. Going by what Lance brought in last night and again this morning, the selection is fairly varied, and even includes a little bit of seaweed this time. 

Even mermyds need their vegetables?

"Oh, hey, Adam," Lance says, and then frowns when he no doubtedly takes in his appearance. "What number is that?"

"Number of what?" Adam asks, feigning innocence even as he takes another sip. 

Lance crosses his arms over his chest. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. What number is that cup?"

Shiro looks between the two of them, face almost adorably confused.

Shoot, what number is he even on? "Two," he says, though, it's probably his fourth at this point. He knows Lance will see right through him, but can't blame him for trying, right?

"I'm locking up the grounds when I'm done here. You can finish your current pot and that's _it_ ," Lance replies firmly. 

Crap, he definitely means it, too.

"Yes, _mother_ ," Adam murmurs into his cup. He could step back out and make a whole new pot, but Lance would probably dump that down the sink and he'd get even _less_. 

Lance sighs and shakes his head. "Someone's gotta look out for you."

"What happened to the person that tripped over his own feet to listen to everything I told him? I want him back."

"That was before he learned just how much of a disaster you actually are. So he took it upon himself to make sure you survive long enough to continue your research properly. That, and he doesn't think he could find someone he works together with as well as he does with you."

Adam flushes lightly under the compliment, not having expected it at all. He's pleased, though. He asked Lance to work with him for the same reason, minus the disaster part. "Don't talk about yourself in the third person."

He steps closer finally to take a better look at Shiro. His color is good, which is promising, but he's still having issues with the loss of weight on his right side. Though, not like they could expect him to recover from that overnight. 

"How are you feeling, Shiro?" he asks. He notices Lance prepping a shot of antibiotics. "Do you mind if I take a look at the stitches?"

Shiro swims carefully to the edge of the tank and lifts the stump of his arm over the edge. It's still red and irritated as hell, but no signs of infection. Adam places his cup aside and touches lightly along the stitches, ready to pull away should Shiro flinch. But he remains perfectly still and Adam finishes his quick examination, pleased that the stitches are holding. 

Lance takes care of the shot once Adam is done and this time Shiro does flinch. 

"How many more of those do I need to suffer though?"

"Sorry, big guy," Lance says, patting Shiro's good shoulder. "Gonna be another nine days, once in the morning and once in the evening. We're just making sure you don't get an infection or anything."

"Oh." Shiro looks thoughtful instead of pouting, which makes Adam curious, but before he can ask, the mermyd continues. "How's Keith doing?"

Lance grins. "He's all right. I told him that as soon as I was done here, I'd give him an update. Though, if you're feeling up for it, I can bring him in again?"

Shiro nods, rotating his right shoulder a few times. "Yeah, that would be good. He'll worry himself sick if left to his own thoughts too long."

"I'm beginning to notice that," Lance replies. And, oh, that's definitely interesting. Adam makes a mental note of _that_. 

Though, as he picks up his mug and considers Shiro once more, he can't say that he blames his research partner. Not one bit.

*~*~*~*

Pushing the door open with his back, Lance pulls the cart back out for Keith. They should maybe look into getting the door automated, or at least with a button to open them, but they'd have to be careful about any animals figuring out how to get in and raiding their supplies. Lance has met some _very_ smart octopi in his time. 

As soon as he turns around, he's surprised to see Keith...all flared out, is the best way to describe it. His fins are spread out and vibrating, leaning up on the dock to appear as large as he can. He doesn't look angry, though, so…Lance isn't sure if this is some kind of dominance thing or not? Something tickles at the back of his mind that he'll have to look up later.

"Are you mad at me or something?"

Keith blushes and instantly relaxes all of his fins, as if he hadn't realized he was doing it. "No! No...I...I'm just happy to see you?"

Lance laughs and pushes the cart closer. "I was only gone like a half hour, silly." He reaches out to ruffle Keith's hair. "Anyway, ready to go see Shiro?"

*~*~*~*

Staring at his books and the websites he pulled up later, Lance frowns. He was right to think there was something else that stood out for Keith's little show earlier. Everything points to it being aggressive or...courting. But that can't be right, can it? He knows he feels some kind of general attraction for the mermyd, but is it normal for mermyds to be attracted to humans? 

Though, he supposes if he goes off of some of the old naval stories, it's more than a possibility. Maybe there's more than a little truth to them?

Speculation will get him nowhere, though. He'll have to talk to Keith about it at some point.

*~*~*~*

The humans soon discover that mermyds also have some sort of advanced healing. It's not overnight, but the skin around the stitches heal up faster than either one of them could have predicted. They've already been able to take the stitches out safely. Despite this, and Shiro's whining, they keep up with antibiotics. Neither one of them see the point in taking the risk, especially when it's something easily avoided. 

Shiro _really_ doesn't like them, though. And makes sure to let them know _every time_.

On the last day of the shots, Lance is getting everything ready while Shiro grumbles from the tank. Lance can't help but notice that even with all his protesting, he comes to the edge of the tank every time to be in easy reach of the humans. He could easily stay to the other side and make them go hunting for him, like they've had to do with some creatures in the past.

He's swimming better as well, so they'll likely get him back outside tomorrow and see how he does.

Lance almost misses Adam's arrival, but he can't miss the way that Shiro leans up, fins all over going wide and shaking as soon as the other human arrives. Lance almost drops his vial in surprise and gapes.

No way. No freaking way.

"Shiro, chill. It's just me. Sorry if I startled you, but I'm just here to help like normal, yeah?" Adam says, sounding more confused than anything.

The mermyd flushes all the way down to his chest and sinks into the water. If Lance had to guess, that was totally a mixture of a pout and embarrassment on his face. Damn. He _really_ needs to talk to Keith now. 

Lance finishes getting his things ready and waves next to Shiro's head to get his attention. The mermyd swims up and puts his shoulder in reach, but otherwise stays low on the surface of the water. 

He's totally sulking. That's actually kind of adorable. Lance pats Shiro's arm when he's done and whispers, "Don't worry. He'll figure it out eventually."

Hopefully.

*~*~*~*

Keith is nearly jumping out of the water in excitement when they wheel Shiro out on the cart the next day. Lance has to laugh at just how cute he looks, even if he has to admit that he'd probably be doing the same thing if it was any of his family members. 

Adam rambles off a few instructions for Shiro to follow, and then the large mermyd is rolling off the cart and into the water, splashing both humans on deck. Lance laughs again as Adam grumbles, taking off his glasses to wipe his face.

*~*~*~*

Keith hadn't been sure if he should believe Lance when he was told about Shiro's display for Adam. It seemed so out of character for him to actually be attracted to someone after all this time. And a human at that. Keith knows he's an odd one by mer standards, but never thought that perhaps his brother was similar. 

He gets irrefutable proof a few days after Shiro’s let out into the cove, when Adam comes out to join them. The humans are doing another bit of research, the first real outing since Shiro got injured, and Keith is itching to show Lance everything he’s found while hunting for Shiro. 

Before Lance can say anything to Adam, Shiro sits up from where he’s been sunning himself at the end of the dock and grins at Adam as he goes on full display, showcasing himself to the best of his abilities. Keith is pleased and relieved to note that Shiro’s missing arm doesn’t detract much, if at all, from the display. 

But Adam doesn’t seem to like it? He pulls out a blade almost too fast to follow and points it at Shiro, which makes Keith hiss and flare up defensively. 

Lance, however, makes a noise similar to the birds nearby and pulls Adam back by the shoulder. “Put that away, you idiot. He’s not threatening you.”

Keith relaxes as the knife is put away and glances over at Shiro, who looks both embarrassed and confused. Which is something no mer should feel after presenting, least of all Shiro.

Did Adam not appreciate Shiro’s offer? Keith frowns as he considers the human. Shiro must like him for a reason, or he wouldn’t have presented at all, but Keith’s having a hard time seeing why that particular human would be worth his brother’s time at all.

*~*~*~*

Another week passes and Shiro is slowly adapting to getting around with the loss of his limb. It’s heartening for Adam to see, as he asks Shiro to prop up so he can take another look at the scarred flesh. It’s more cursory than anything, but he wants to make sure.

Keith is lounging on a rock formation nearby, waiting for Lance to come out and join them. The smaller mermyd hasn’t seemed to like him much since he pulled out his knife before, but he’s not being mean in any way.

Adam isn’t sure how to fix it, if there even is a way to do so. There was a bit of a culture clash, he’ll admit, but he _still_ doesn’t know what Shiro meant by flaring out like that. He pats Shiro’s shoulder to let him know that he’s done checking everything over, but the mermyd is slower to move away than he expected. The slow drag of Shiro’s hand down Adam’s arm sends shivers down his spine that he’s not sure he wants to examine just yet. 

The door creaks open and Lance steps out into the sunlight, dressed in his trunks and carrying his board. 

The reaction of the smaller mermyd is almost instantaneous. He goes on full display, fins flared and smiling widely. Adam stares as Lance blushes and laughs, putting his board down and gesturing for Keith to come over to him as he sits on the edge of the dock. Keith fluidly slides into the water and pushes up with enough force to wrap his arms around Lance’s waist, burying his face in Lance’s chest with a happy trill. 

Lance hugs back and whispers something to Keith, who nods happily, giving Lance one last squeeze before slipping back into the water. 

“We’ll see you later,” Lance says, still flushed, and grabs his board. He drops it into the water for Keith to grab and then jumps in, hoisting himself onto the board moments later. Keith takes a solid grip and begins to pull them both away with sure strokes with his tail.

Adam watches as they leave, mouth slightly agape. Well, he supposes he has his answer for what the flairing is about. He turns to ask Shiro about it, but finds the other mermyd gone. 

He frowns, looking out over the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that this one was a couple days late.


	6. Sixth Circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith wants to court Lance and is seriously starting to wonder if Lance has been courting him in return. If Lance won't come out and say it, though, he supposes he just needs to work up the courage to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to my favorite blue boy!
> 
> Initially my plan had been to post the last chapter of this piece today, but that's obviously not going to be the case. However, I did want to be able to celebrate today, so have some cute courting fluff between a human and a mer.

“What are you making?” Keith asks as he joins Lance on the beach, pulled up in the sand enough to be close, but his tail is still partially in the water.

The human is fiddling with some of the local plantlife, weaving things together in patterns that Keith has never seen before, humming softly under his breath. “You’ll see in a second.”

Keith pouts, not wanting to wait, but it’s not like he can force Lance to go any faster or tell him any sooner. It’s something he’s picked up during their time spent together. The human is just as stubborn, if not moreso, than he is.

It’s only a few moments longer before Lance lets out a soft sound of triumph. Keith perks up from where he’d been drawing nonsensical shapes in the sand.

“So what is it?”

Lance grins, showing Keith the ring of flowers he’d made. “It’s a flower crown. Me and my siblings used to make them all the time when we were kids.” 

It is very pretty and Keith lets out a happy little trill at the sight of it. Then Lance raises his hands and places it on the top of Keith’s drying hair, startling him. “Lance?”

The human takes out his small phone device (Keith knows what it’s called, but keeping track of everything it can do still escapes him) and points it at Keith, a soft clicking sound coming from it a moment later. Lance taps a few things on the screen and then turns it to face Keith. “See? You look really cute with it on.”

Keith flushes, both at the praise and the gift. He’s not sure if Lance knows what it means to mers to give each other decorative adornments like this, but he can’t bring himself to tell him just yet. He likes what they have between them right now and doesn’t want to risk scaring Lance away by saying too much, putting too much meaning into things that might just be friendly gestures for humans. 

Putting the phone away, Lance grabs another flower crown from behind his back and places it on his own head. He must have made that one before Keith joined him. “And now we match.”

There’s a happy little flutter in Keith’s heart and he has to bite his lip for a moment before he says something foolish. “Thank you,” he says instead, smiling shyly. 

Lance turns red at that, though Keith isn’t sure why, and he tilts his head curiously. Why wouldn’t he thank the human for the gift?

“Nothing, nothing,” Lance replies quickly, shaking his head and almost dislodging his crown. “Do you still want to go out in the water today?”

Keith nods. “Yeah.” He’d found some more hideaways in the cove that he wants to show the human as quickly as possible. He pushes himself back on the sand, hating how ungraceful he looks, but hopefully Lance won’t hold it against him. As soon as he slips into the water, though, he feels the flowers being lifted from his hair.

“No!” he shouts, shooting back above the water, but it’s too late. Even as he cups the crown carefully in his hands and lifts it above the water, the damage is done. The flowers are already starting to droop sadly and the weave is coming loose. He feels tears form in his eyes. 

The first gift Lance has ever given him and he destroys it within minutes. 

Hands cup beneath his own and then slide up to his face instead, holding him gently. He looks up at Lance with wide eyes, knowing he’s seconds away from crying. 

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s no big deal, yeah? I still have the other one I made. I’ll leave it on the dock and you can have it later. We can keep it on shore for you to wear whenever you want, okay?” Lance says softly, ever so sweet.

Is it really any surprise that he’s seriously started to fall for this human?

“Okay,” he whispers back, taking a deep breath to calm down. 

It’s okay. 

*~*~*~*

Lance surprises him again a few days later with another little woven crown, this one made of some sort of cord and decorated with small shells, beads, and glass. Keith marvels at how pretty it is. 

When Lance informs him that it should be water safe, the mer hesitates. He doesn’t want to risk destroying another gift from Lance, especially so soon after the last disaster. But Lance insists, says that he’s already dragged it through the waves a few times himself to make sure it holds. Keith lets Lance place it on his head, fluffing his hair around it to help hold it in place.

“There you go. Try it out,” Lance urges and Keith carefully dips below the water, staying there for just a few moments before rising again.

The crown has stayed in place and doesn’t feel damaged at all. He smiles up at Lance.

The human grins as well, even as his cheeks are tinted with color. “Beautiful.”

Keith ducks down low enough in the water to cover all but his eyes and the top of his head, hoping the cool water will help diffuse the heat in his face. With the way Lance is looking at him, it’s the first time he actually _feels_ beautiful. He always wants to feel this way around Lance.

*~*~*~*

Keith wants to return the favors, wants to let Lance know he’s interested, even if it happens to go over the human’s head. But what to give him? He’d already tried giving Lance the best fish he could catch, but it’d been turned away. Apparently humans only eat raw fish in special settings? As if there was _any_ better way to eat fish than freshly caught.

So the mer keeps his eyes open when exploring the cove, with and without Lance, but nothing seems perfect or special enough. While he wants to be able to find _something_ that will make Lance understand Keith’s affections, nothing fits. 

It’s discouraging, to say the least.

And it’s affecting his mood, even around the human, enough that Lance even asks a few days later if he’s all right. He can only only nod and pretend that everything is fine. After all, it’s not Lance’s fault that he can’t find the right gift, so it’s not right to take it out on him. 

It’s on one of the days Lance is stuck inside doing his work that Keith’s luck changes. He finds a large and perfectly intact shark tooth. It’s rare to find one this large, coveted among mers for how useful they are. While it may not fully express what he wants to tell Lance, it’s certainly a start (though part of him wonders if anything could ever be enough).

*~*~*~*

When he gives it to Lance, the dense (lovely) human doesn’t seem to get it at all, which is sadly what Keith had expected. However, he does wrap it with cord and tie it around his neck, wearing it all the time. 

Seeing Lance wearing and displaying his gift so openly all the time makes him preen internally. Maybe one day he’ll understand that the gift symbolises both his ability to protect and to provide.

*~*~*~*

“Do you want to try this?” Lance asks, holding out a bright red... _something_ to Keith.

The mer looks at it curiously, not sure what to make of it at all. It almost looks like a flower with no petals? Or maybe a closed flower, even? “What is it?”

“It’s a strawberry. One of my favorite fruits, both sour and sweet,” Lance explains, cutting the leafy part off the top with practiced ease before offering it to Keith again. “You’re not supposed to eat the green bit, sorry.”

Carefully, Keith takes the strawberry and sniffs it. The scent is good, mostly sweet, so he bites into it delicately. He grins at the flavor on his tongue. “This is really good.”

Lance smiles and Keith feels his heart jump. “Yeah? You can have more if you want.”

Keith hesitates. “But...you said they’re your favorite?” No matter how good they are, he can’t just eat all of something of Lance’s if it’s the human’s favorite.

Shaking his head, Lance cuts the green bit off another strawberry and passes it to the mer. “Don’t worry about it. While I’m not able to get these very often out here, that doesn’t mean I need them all to myself. Adam’s allergic anyway, and sadly these will spoil if left for too long.”

“Okay,” Keith agrees softly, taking the fruit with a blush. This can’t go on much longer, not with just how well Lance is courting him. He’s doing everything right by mer culture standards and Keith just needs to _know_ what Lance’s intent is, so he doesn’t get his hopes up.

He’s already head over tail for Lance anyway.

*~*~*~*

When Lance introduces the mer to chocolate (which is _divine_ ), Keith knows he needs to say something, especially when Lance also mentions that humans will gift it to each other as part of their courtship.

Keith nearly chokes on the chocolate, which would be such a waste, after learning that. FInishing the piece and clearing his throat, he shifts awkwardly in the sand next to the human. “Lance, I…”

“Yeah?” Lance responds, turning back towards him. “What’s up?”

He has to take a moment so that he doesn’t swallow his tongue or start boiling with how hot he feels. He’d never thought--never _hoped_ \--he’d be having this conversation. “If...if I’m understanding this wrong, I apologize, but...but with everything you’re doing and sharing…” He bites his lower lip. Maybe he is being stupid for asking this, maybe it’s just a cultural misunderstanding, but he needs to _know_. “Are you courting me?”

He watches with some alarm as Lance turns the darkest red he’s ever seen. “Lance?”

“I...I…” Lance fumbles for a moment, as if not able to put his thoughts into sentences. Keith feels like he can relate. “Can humans even court mermyds?”

Keith frowns slightly, not sure if he likes where this is going. It almost sounds like Lance has been doing all of this without any sort of thought to courting, which...ouch. “It’s not common, but it’s happened often enough that no one frowns upon it as long as we don’t endanger the safety of other mer.”

There’s silence between them, Lance staring at the container of fruit in his lap for a moment before taking a deep breath. “Okay, that...um...that explains a lot, actually. I wasn’t sure…” he trails off again and then shakes his head. “If...if you’re okay with me courting you, then...I’d like to court you.”

“You already have been,” Keith murmurs with a soft smile. 

“I have? How?” the human questions, sounding more confused than anything. 

Shifting his tail once more, Keith feels calm as the realization that Lance does like him in a similar fashion washes over him. “Gifts, for one. The flower crowns, the food you’ve had me try, even when you first stayed out here with me when Shiro lost his arm. You were showing that you could provide for me as a mate and that you’d be willing to support me. But you never made any sort of obvious show of courting, so I was never sure.”

“Does that mean when you...went all full-fan on me, that was you showing you wanted to court me, too?” 

Keith turns pink. “Yeah.”

Lance places his hand on top of Keith’s. “What else does courting include for you?” 

“Gifts given in return to show a return of interest. Though, you did not seem to appreciate my attempts to show I could provide you with food as well,” he replies, blushing at the hand over his own. He reaches out with his free hand and touches the tooth still hanging around Lance’s neck, pleased beyond belief that he’s _still_ wearing it. 

Lance laughs softly. “Sorry, humans don’t do much with raw fish all that often, at least where I’m from. But if you’re okay with me cooking them before I eat them, I could _appreciate_ them that way.”

He supposes he can give Lance that one. Humans in general seem to have much different dietary requirements. “If so, is it okay that I’m understanding all your gifts and actions so far like that?” He wonders if Lance can hear how fast his heart is pounding and maybe that’s why he gives the mer’s hand a quick squeeze. 

“Yeah.”


	7. Seventh Sense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith learns more about human courting and Lance makes a request of his bestie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies this one took a little longer to get out. I hope you all enjoy the fluff.

“So how do humans court, then? Is it different from mer?” Keith asks, sounding curious.

Leaning back on his towel, Lance tucks the hand not holding Keith’s behind his head. He can’t blame the other for asking, especially given how confused he had been when Keith had told him he’d been courting him all along. “Well...I mean, usually when someone is interested in courting another person, they ask them out on a date.”

Keith frowns. “They ask them about the fruit?”

“No, no,” he replies, laughing. The mermyd is too cute sometimes. “No, a date is where two people hang out together, usually doing something together like going to an amusement park or seeing a movie or something. Sometimes it’s just them hanging out together, cuddling, talking…”

“Like we’ve been doing these past moons?”

Teasing. The mermyd is _teasing_ him. Lance can feel his face heating up slightly even as he grins up at Keith. “Kinda. I mean, I never asked you out. People who are just friends can do stuff like that together, too. That’s why the asking is important.” He pauses and tries to figure out if he’s even explaining this right. “There is sometimes a bit of time before someone asks, where they get to know each other and maybe flirt a little to see if the other is interested. It’s...way more complicated to explain than I thought it would be. Sorry if this is confusing you.”

Keith shakes his head then bites his lower lip and Lance feels a tug in his gut to sit up and soothe the bite. “I understand most of it. Usually there’s a time where mers will get to know one another better as well, though most of us usually grow up together in a pod, before any sort of courting interest is shown.”

“Not too different, then.” That’s good. He can work with that. He already knows it’s going to be more complicated overall dating someone not human. He’ll take any similarities he can get.

There’s silence for a moment before Keith leans down to lay with him on his side so that he can tuck close against Lance, reminding him of their times in the hammock together. Instead of resting his head on Lance’s shoulder like Lance expects, though, Keith leans up and lighty scrapes his teeth along the edge of the other’s jawline, and Lance jerks back slightly in surprise.

“Sorry. What was that?” he asks, hoping he didn’t offend the mermyd by moving away. It’s not like it felt bad or he’s worried that Keith will hurt him, but he hadn’t been expecting it.

Keith pouts. “That’s how we show affection. Is...is that not what humans do, too? I thought I’d seen something similar, but…”

Oh. _Oh_. Okay. He can work with that. He holds Keith’s cheek gently and pulls him close, returning the gesture as best he can. He might not get it exactly right, but the way Keith lights up, the way his eyes start sparkling like the night sky, lets him know he did well enough. He is more than happy to meet Keith halfway for things like this. “We don’t do that exactly, no.”

“Then what _do_ you do?” Keith presses, leaning just slightly over Lance.

“Well, not sure what you call what you did, but humans do something they call kissing,” Lance murmurs, feeling oddly nervous. He can’t imagine why. He’s kissed plenty of people over the years, but for some reason, with the way the mermyd is looking at him, he feels like he’s fourteen and completely new to this all over again.

Keith presses closer, tail tangling with Lance’s legs. “Can you show me?”

Raising a hand, Lance pets it along Keith’s cheek back into his hair, smiling softly at the way the other leans into the contact, eyes fluttering shut. He raises up on his elbow, taking a moment to make sure they’re lined up properly before pressing their lips together. Keith makes a small noise from the back of his throat as Lance kisses him gently.

He leans back, smiling when the mermyd tries to follow him. 

Keith’s eyes open slowly. “Again,” he whispers.

“You want me to kiss you again?” Keith nods and Lance kisses him again, still keeping things light, but he can feel the way Keith is melting into him and it gives him the courage to suck Keith’s bottom lip between his own, shivering at the whine Keith lets out.

When he pulls away a second time, he’s not able to go very far with the grip Keith has on his shoulder, and the mermyd’s voice has dropped into something husky that sends heat through Lance’s whole body.

“ _Again_.”

*~*~*~*

Lance taps his fingers as he waits for the video call to connect, having taken several days until he and his best friend could find time to connect. As soon as a pixelated image of Hunk starts showing through, Lance sits up straight and grins.

“Hunk! My beautiful bestie!”  
  
“Good to see you, Lance!” 

Ah, man, the sound quality is a little poor this time, too. But that’s the joy of working at a remote research facility, he supposes. But, honestly, he’s so glad he is able to connect with anyone back home at all.

“How have things been out there?”

They chat for a bit, catching up, and Lance can’t help but feel the pang in his chest when he realizes that he’s missed so much again while out here doing his job. It’s something he’s had to live with since his first research trip, but it never seems to get any easier. 

“So, actually, I did have a favor to ask you,” Lance says, rubbing the back of his head. 

Hunk gives him a look. “Does this have to do with you asking about a bionic arm?”

“What, no!” In fact, Lance had almost forgotten about that, though he’d been looking into it for Shiro. Not that he could _tell_ Hunk that. 

“Why would you ask me about that anyway? Did Adam lose his arm? Did _you_ lose your arm?”

Lance gestures wildly with his hands, trying to interrupt his best friend before he can really start spiraling. “Hunk, buddy, _stop_. Look, see, I have both arms. Nothing missing or lost, okay? And Adam has both arms, too. He’s in the water less often than me anyway.”

He can see that calculating look even though the poor quality of the video feed. “Fine, I’ll believe you for now, but if I find out you’re hiding any sort of injury, I’m telling your mother.”

Even though he’s _not_ hiding any kind of injury from anyone, he still feels a spike of fear at the threat of his mama’s wrath. If people think _Lance_ is a force to be reckoned with, he’s a tiny kitten compared to Gabriela McClain on the warpath.

“Hunk, I promise you that neither Adam or I have been hurt at all out here minus the normal occasional scrapes.” He could admit at least that much, given his clumsy nature at times (he’s gotten better since growing into his long limbs, but, gods, it had been so bad in school). “As for why I asked, it was mainly to see if we could help some of the larger marine life that lose fins to boat propellers and the like.”

It’s not completely a lie at least. He had been wondering about something like that for the manatees he keeps reading about. And Shiro could also be considered marine life, after all…

The big guy looks thoughtful for a moment. “I mean, it’s possible. We’ve done it for all kinds of land animals. There would just be the consideration for how the water and salt would affect the mechanics over time. The less joints the better, of course, but something like a fin would really only have the one to worry about compared to all the joints in our fingers.”

Lance’s hope falls a bit, though he’s careful not to let any of it show on his face. “Maybe you and Pidge can see what you can figure out? I think it’d be really cool to see what you guys come up with. And, who knows, maybe if you guys get a breakthrough, it can be used for people that have lost limbs, too, so they can swim?” At Hunk’s glare, he flails again. “Not for me! Just in general, dude.”

There’s a loud sigh over the speakers and Lance can’t help but laugh. He knows his bestie well enough to know he’s not actually mad or anything. 

“So what is this favor anyway?”

Oh, right. “Would you be able to mail me my tail? I’ll cover the costs of shipping it, of course.”

Hunk waves him off. He’s smiling at such a normal request from Lance and the Cuban boy feels himself relaxing. “Nah, I got you. I’ve been meaning to get a care package together for you anyway, and I know your mom has been gathering some stuff to send you.”

Feeling tears gather at the corner of his eyes, Lance can’t stop the wide grin from spreading across his face. “I love you guys so much. But are you sure about the shipping cost? I know that thing isn’t exactly the lightest.”

“I love you, too, buddy. And, yeah, it’s all good. Pretty sure your mom would send you the money right back anyway if she heard that you tried to pay for it.”

Lance laughs even as a tear falls, his homesickness hitting even harder than ever. “Yeah, she would.” Maybe he should set up a video call with his family soon. It’d been awhile since he’d last done it and he knows that his mama is always telling him to call them more. “I really appreciate it, though. Seriously. Let me know when things ship so I can keep an eye out for it over here, yeah?”

“Of course. I should be able to take care of it all this weekend, but I’ll let you know either way,” Hunk replies. Their conversation soon turns to some of the crazy food items Hunk has been experimenting with. 

*~*~*~*

By the time he says goodbye to Hunk, it’s starting to get dark outside. He hadn’t even realized they’d been talking for so long. He stands and stretches, groaning at his stiff joints from sitting in one position for so long and feeling a few of them pop along the way. 

He grabs a quick dinner and heads back out of the facility in his wetsuit and onto the dock, smiling when he sees Keith floating lazily next to the hammock he’d built. “Hey, sweetheart,” Lance greats, loving the way Keith chirps in greeting, pushing himself up on the dock. Lance kneels down to give him the quick kiss he’s asking for. He’d told Lance once that he likes kissing more than the nip/scenting that mermyds do, at least with Lance, something about how it’s more of an equal give and take of affection. Lance is more than happy to oblige. 

“Did your talk go well?” Keith asks as he lowers himself back down into the water, Lance slipping off the dock next to him. 

“Yeah, it was great to talk to him.” Lance climbs into the hammock and makes himself comfortable before holding his arms open for Keith to join him. “Sorry it took so long, though. Didn’t realize we had so much to talk about.”

The mermyd slides in easily, months of practice making them fit together without any fuss. “You don’t need to apologize. He’s part of your pod, right? It’s important to stay connected to your pod.”

Lance rubs a hand up and down Keith’s arm, pleased when the other relaxes against him more. “Are you...you’re part of my pod, too, right?”

The sound that Keith lets out is something Lance can only describe as pure happiness and he feels the same emotion course through his body when Keith leans up enough to kiss him. “Yeah, I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is written, though I want to read it over a bit more before posting. I'm hoping to post it for our red boy's birthday. 
> 
> As always, I love hearing what you think!


	8. Eighth Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's tail shows up in the mail and he gets to go on a proper swim with Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Keith! Enjoy a swim with your darling blue boy.
> 
> This chapter is pretty much pure fluff.

When the package from Hunk and his mother finally shows up, Lance can’t say he’s surprised at the sheer size of it. It’s like his mama doesn’t think he has access to any food out here. 

He puts most of the food items in their kitchen, thankful there’s enough space for it all. He’s really going to have to talk to his mother about sending him so much next time. Seriously, he did _not_ need her to send him twenty boxes of pasta. 

He does keep a few of the treats in his room, though, hiding them in the bottom drawer of his desk. Not only are they his favorites, but he knows Adam would squirrel them all away if he doesn’t hide them first. 

The rest of the box unloaded, Lance lifts out the item that was the main reason for this package. Hunk had packed his tail properly, rolling it instead of folding it like Lance had shown him before, and Lance is so happy to see that there are no odd creases or cracks in the material as he unrolls it onto his bed (that he rarely sleeps in anymore, honestly). It’s nowhere near as elaborate as Keith’s or Shiro’s tails, but it’s in beautiful shades of blue, the detail work of shading on the scales and the fade at the waist and down at the fins more than enough to make it believable to anyone seeing him swim in it. 

He remembers the first time he’d tried it on, how awkward it had been to adjust to moving in it. He got used to it quickly, though, and he hopes he still has that muscle memory. 

And he hopes that Keith likes it.

He pokes his head out of his room. “Hey, Adam, I’m gonna be out on the water for a little bit. My tail’s here.”

Adam steps out of the kitchen with a steaming mug that Lance narrows his eyes at. He’s not against hiding the coffee grounds again if his research partner is having too much again. “Gonna use it to try to get some tail?”

Feeling his face flush brightly, Lance sputters for a moment. “I-! We haven’t-! _Adam_!”

The jerk just laughs and continues to their communal lounge space. “I don’t think you’d have to try too hard, honestly. He’s completely head over heels for you.”

Even though his face is still burning, Lance can’t help the soft smile that spreads across his face. If only to himself, for now, he can admit the feeling is absolutely mutual, but maybe it’s time to finally tell Keith.

*~*~*~*

“What is that?” Keith asks when Lance comes out carrying a bundle in his arms, wrapped in tarp. He thinks he sees a flash of color before Lance adjusts his hold on it, but nothing distinct.

Lance grins, continuing over to the boat instead of just joining Keith on the dock. “It’s a surprise.”

Curious, he swims alongside the platform, wondering why Lance is getting on the boat at all. He never drives it without Adam with him and he knows the pattern of their research well enough now to know this isn’t a work day anyway. “Lance?”

The human shakes his head with a smile, confusing Keith more. “Give me just a second, Keith. I’ll be joining you in the water shortly.”

Appeased, Keith circles the boat as he waits, though the random grunts Lance makes and the thumps he hears from the deck do nothing to give him any clues as to what’s going on. He’s glad he doesn’t have to wait much longer before Lance is pulling himself to the edge of the boat and swinging his legs—

Those aren’t legs. Lance’s legs are gone. Instead, he looks like…

“Surprise! What do you think?” Lance asks as he positions his tail over the side of the boat to trail his fins in the water. 

Keith swims right up to him and places his hands on the tail after a moment of hesitation. While it’s normally not polite to touch another mer’s tail without permission, he and Lance have been courting for some time and such familiarity _should_ be fine. And there’s no objection from Lance, which settles his worries. While the scales look almost real, the texture is off, and he’s not sure what to make of it. “What is this? What did you do?” 

Is this some kind of magic?

Lance laughs softly and slips into the cove next to Keith. The water makes the tail look even more real and if not for the feel of the scales, Keith would easily believe that Lance had suddenly become a mer. “It’s a fake tail that I can pull over my legs. See, my knees still bend like normal rather than the way your tail can curl,” he says, demonstrating. And, yeah, seeing that angular fold in the tail does destroy the illusion a little. 

He ducks under the surface and trails his fingers along the tail again, feeling around the human’s knees and able to tell by touch that under the fake scales, there’s still the split of legs. 

Even so, the fact that Lance would put this on, join him in the water with a tail that makes him look just like a mer…

He breaks the surface again and pulls Lance into a kiss, hoping to convey just how much he appreciates this, how amazing he thinks Lance is.

“I take it you like it, then?” Lance asks when there’s finally enough space between them for words. “I know it’s not as fancy as yours or Shiro’s, but—“

“You look beautiful,” Keith interrupts, not wanting the human to think otherwise for even a second. “I—I mean, you always look so pretty, but like this...you’re so beautiful, Lance.”

With his hands still on Lance’s face, he can _feel_ the way the other heats up as his cheeks turn red. It really shouldn’t be as adorable as Keith thinks it is. Lance’s hands slide up from Keith’s shoulders into his hair, brushing it back away from his face as he leans in to press his lips to Keith’s forehead. “I think you’re beautiful, too, sweetheart.”

Keith grins, even as he can feel his own face warming. “Dance with me,” he murmurs, pulling Lance with both hands further away from the boat and into the more open water towards the center of the cove. 

“Yeah, okay, you’re gonna have to show me how, though,” Lance agrees. He flicks his own tail to keep him steady with the mer and Keith is pleased to see just how comfortably the other seems to be moving with the fake tail.

It’s something he’s wanted to do with Lance since their courting officially started, but hadn’t thought they’d be able to. Yes, Lance is a great swimmer for a human, but the way he moves in the water with his legs isn’t the most conducive to a mer courting dance. Like _this_ , though, Keith can definitely work with this.

He does a quick check of the water around them and is pleased to see that there aren’t any larger fish nearby. The little ones will easily be able to dart out of the way. “I’ll guide you through it. As long as you let me know if we’re staying under the surface too long, yeah?” While he knows that Lance could always get that giant tank for his back to allow him to breathe underwater, it will only add drag and make the dance awkward, negating the benefits of Lance wearing the tail. 

Lance nods. “Can do.” Keith nods and the human takes a deep breath before they both slip under the surface. 

Gods, it’s even better seeing Lance completely in the water like this. The way the scales of the tail fade along his waist almost sparkle like jewels makes Keith want to run his hands all over the human, but that’s not what they’re here to do now. Later, he can focus on that later. He grins, pulling Lance closer to him and guiding them through the water, through gentle turns and rolling over and around each other, never once breaking eye contact. 

He can tell the moment that Lance needs to take another breath and pushes them the short ways back above the surface, keeping them moving as if it’s just another part of their dance. He hears Lance let out a bit of laughter before the human is ducking under the water again, signaling that he’s good for the moment. 

Keith finds a pattern that works for them, allowing them to dance together and still give the human the chances he needs to take a breath without risk of hurting himself. At one point, when slowing from a rather quick spin together, Lance lets go of Keith’s hands to hold his face instead, pulling him into a kiss. It goes on for longer than he thinks is safe for the human until he realizes that Lance is breathing _through_ him, by means of their kiss. While something he’d never considered before, it now opens up a whole new range of possibilities. 

He wraps his arms around Lance’s back and kisses him harder.

When they finally separate, Keith gives a quick flick of his tail to push them back above the surface, keeping Lance steady as the human takes deep breaths. It’s such a shame, really, that humans can’t breathe both above _and_ below the water like mer.

Lance presses their foreheads together, smiling widely even as he still works to get his breathing back under control. “Hey,” he whispers.

“Hey,” Keith replies, wondering what Lance is thinking now. 

“I love you.”

Oh, he hadn’t been expecting that. He’d hoped, of course, but… A light trill escapes Keith without his permission and he hugs Lance close, burying his face in the human’s neck. “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not apologize for any cavities.


End file.
